ULFA leader Anup Chetia handed over to India by Bangladesh

New Delhi: ULFA leader Anup Chetia was today handed over by Bangladesh to India. Chetia, who was in Bangladesh since his arrest by the neighbouring country's police in 1997, was handed over to India at the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and through active involvement of NSA Ajit Doval. Chetia was handed over this morning, highly-placed sources told PTI.

The development follows on the heels of the deportation to India of underworld don Chhota Rajan, one of country's most-wanted criminals, who was on the run for 27 years. Chetia, a founding member of ULFA and its general secretary, is wanted for murder, abductions and extortion in India.

Anup Chetia. File pic/ AFP

He had sought political asylum in Bangladesh thrice in 2005, 2008 and in 2011 after Bangladesh police arrested him in December 1997 and was subsequently handed seven years of jail terms by two courts for cross-border intrusion, carrying fake passports and illegally keeping foreign currencies.

Despite the expiry of his term, Chetia was in jail under a 2003 High Court directive asking authorities to keep him in safe custody until a decision was taken on his asylum plea.